Justice Dept. to name coordinator for domestic terror cases

John Carlin, the assistant attorney general for national security, announced on Wednesday that the position was filled this week, report NBC News, the Hill and CBS News.

While he spoke about the threat posed by the Islamic State terror group, he emphasized that law enforcement is focused on racist and anti-government ideologies, and that such ideologies may pose a more serious threat than ISIS.

In his speech, he’ll say the new Domestic Terrorism Counsel will serve as the main point of contact for U.S. Attorney offices nationwide.

In the past few years, more people in the USA have died in attacks committed by domestic extremists than in attacks associated with worldwide terrorist groups, according to a study cited by Carlin, speaking to a seminar on terrorism at George Washington University.

“Looking back over the past few years, it is clear that domestic terrorists and homegrown violent extremists remain a real and present danger to the United States”, he said.

A new national security position is being created to help combat homegrown terror threats, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

The Counsel will also analyze “legal gaps or enhancements” to better address domestic terrorism threats.

“In America, harboring extremist views is not itself a crime, nor is the expression of even a hateful ideology or association with a hateful group”.

The Justice Department routinely charges Islamic State sympathizers with providing material support to foreign terror groups, though there’s no comparable statute for aiding white supremacist organizations in part because of First Amendment concerns.